Category Archives: Hikes & Scrambles

Elk Range “Minimidal Traverse”

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Ben and I had anticipated the “Megamidal” or “Megamydal” traverse (as dubbed on 14ers.com) both of the prior two summers, so it became a must-do for us in 2017. This loop from Maroon Lake goes over 5 thirteeners from close to West Maroon Pass out along the Len Shoemaker Ridge, with finish on fourteener Pyramid Peak. As it worked out we ended up skipping Pyramid, and thus this became the “Minimidal Traverse”. August 19th became the day. A great forecast; only a small chance of rain after 1pm. Ben and Rick practically ran up the trail in the dark, while I clambered behind. Read more…

Sawtooth Intro: Williams and Thompson Peaks

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Mary Beth and I visited friends who recently moved to Boise, and we enjoyed some camping in the Sawtooth region. Camping is hard to come by: the campsites all around Redfish Lake fill up quickly. When we came into the tiny town of Stanley on Wednesday, August 2, we thought there might be sites available, but we found ourselves camped on a high mountain road several miles northeast. One perk was that we had a nice little stream by our camp and we were comfortably above the haze from wildfires in Oregon. Read more…

Little Cimarron and Baldy Cinco Loops

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Colorado is in the transition phase to winter this month, with most of the northern mountains already fairly snowed in and colder temps and gusty winds settling into the high country to stay. But in an effort to extend our summer 13er-bagging tear just a bit longer, Steve and I were lured down south by a blip of stable weather and dry terrain. Residing at the northern end of the San Juan range is the spectacular Cimarron group, which Steve and I had a great time exploring last year. Read more…

A Night Out at Slate Lake: “Peak L”

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Last Friday Steve and I packed into upper-Slate Lake hoping to find some stereotypical September colors and weather. But after a cold front rolled through and dropped a few inches of snow overnight, the area was transformed into a scene more reminiscent of early-winter than late-summer. Though we decided to dial back our original plans and only stay for one night, we were blessed with some spectacular views and managed to nab a classic Gore Range summit in “Peak L” (aka “Necklace Peak”). Read more…